Erdoğan slams 'slander' toward police, judiciary

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has condemned what he described as baseless allegations targeting Turkish police and judiciary members, urging accountability through legal channels.

“No one can defame or attack police or judicial officials to help those guilty of bribery escape justice. We will not allow this,” Erdoğan said on July 23 during a graduation ceremony at the police academy in Ankara.

Without naming specific individuals, he criticized politicians whom he accused of attempting to discredit authorities with claims of conspiracies. He was referring to a sweeping corruption investigation into opposition-run municipalities.

“We reject this dirty political approach. I invite everyone, especially the main opposition, to use careful language towards the judiciary," Erdoğan said.

The president claimed that certain figures were trying to “whitewash” bribery offenses by circulating conspiracy theories and threatening reputations with unverified video footage.

“If you have a video recording, why not give it to the court instead of spouting it? If there's a conspiracy against you, gather the evidence, present it to the court, and hold the conspirators accountable,” Erdoğan said. “If you can't prove your claims, you can't avoid being labeled a slanderer.”

He praised the commitment of police officers, describing their work as critical to the country’s stability and well-being. Erdoğan also emphasized his government's ongoing fight against corruption and terrorism, pledging that “a terror-free Türkiye” would usher in a new era of “brotherhood, peace, prosperity and development.”

“No sabotage, no provocation, no trap will be able to turn Türkiye back from this historic path it has embarked on,” he added.